Last week the Arizona Diamondbacks took a trip out east to face the NL East-leading New York Mets. With the D-backs down one and runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the seventh, it was a critical juncture in the ballgame. Starting lineup regular Geraldo Perdomo was sitting on the bench, so manager Torey Lovullo called his name to hit in the clutch spot.
What happened next is a moment that has taken on a life of its own within the team.
Facing a 1-2 count, pitcher Ryne Stanek fired in a 99 mph fastball to Perdomo, who then blooped the ball into left field to give the D-backs a 2-1 lead. Later he’d drive in another run on a sac fly to extend Arizona’s lead and capture the win for good. And then came the real highlight from Perdomo, after the game: “My blood is like frog. You know how the frog? Cold!”
Let’s break down the now famous “Frog Man” interview.
Feeling Froggy
It was a tale of two tongues to start the interview. Geraldo Perdomo is from the Dominican Republic, so naturally, he speaks Spanish. Knowing this, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi attempted to start out the interview by speaking to him in his native language. Perdomo, never one to turn down the challenge, was adamant the interview be done in English.
“I’m English, I’m American!” Perdomo playfully pestered. “What’s wrong with you, Jon? Are you ok?”
After taking a 4-1 lead entering the ninth inning, the D-backs allowed the lead to be cut down to one before finally escaping with a win in tow. The line of questioning then transitioned to asking about Perdomo’s role in the game as a pinch hitter, something he has not done often in his career, and this the first time he’d done so in 2025. Entering the night, Geraldo Perdomo was hitting a respectable .307 (4-13) in pinch hitting situations throughout his career. This, combined with his offensive production and defensive capability to that point in the season, made him a viable option in the spot. So how did he prepare to be inserted into the game?
“It’s the same routine,” Perdomo said. “I came here early today, do a little bit different because, you know, I wasn’t playing today so I went in the seventh [inning] to warm up, especially because Torey told me probably he will now pinch hit for Hampson. And you know, I was ready. I was ready for the opportunity.”
Perdomo’s hit wasn’t exactly a screamer off the bat, exiting at just 80.9 mph.
“Thank God that blooper got on the ground!”
Almost as quickly as Perdomo was inserted into the game, he went down in the count 0-2 on two fastballs, the first looking and the second one blown right by him for a swing and miss. After taking the third pitch for a ball, Perdomo did what he’s best at and made contact, fouling off the fourth pitch. Then finally, on the fifth pitch of the at bat, Perdomo came through, placing the ball just out of Jeff McNeil’s reach in left field, driving home Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jorge Barrosa to give the D-backs the lead for good.
“I’m glad I made contact right there, I’m so glad,” Perdomo chuckled, acknowledging Stanek is a tough pitcher to face. “It’s not easy [to] make contact, like from the bench on a 99-100 miles per hour fastball.”
A Legend is Born
With the Mets having the tying run on second base in the ninth, Morosi noticed Geraldo Perdomo still had a smile on face in a moment normally reserved for intensity. When asked how he is able to maintain his composure in such situations, Perdomo came through with perhaps a signature moment of his young career.
“I just like to enjoy my job, be happy on the field,” Perdomo said. “It’s no pressure, I got- my blood is like frog. You know how the frog? Cold! ¡Friísimo!”
Now his teammates call him Frog Man at his behest, but all in good fun.
“He had a perfect layup right? I mean, snakes are cold-blooded,” Lovullo said. “He had a chance to say ‘I’m like a diamondback, I’m like a snake.’ We call him the Frog Man now. That’s what he’s known as inside of our clubhouse.”
